A North-Woman Journeys the American South — Haunted, Historic, Romantic; Delicious, Wild, Civilized

Your country can satisfy a foreigner's wanderlust. Why not yours?

Every time you leave your country, you learn more about the nation from which you came. But every time you travel within your country, you learn more about what you don't know.

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Domestic travel, especially in the American South, changed me. By the end of this story, I hope you'll be inspired to give the areas of your homeland a try, too.

My aunt once said the South was her favorite place to travel. When I was little, I could not understand this. She had been to London. How could a vague domestic region possibly hold a candle to that?

At 20, a man in my life pitched New Orleans to me. I still only felt interested in going abroad then. But there's always that struggle between where you want to go and where you can afford!

"It's unforgettable. It's unique to this country. It has French history," he told me. Softened by love and sold by his pitch, we went there instead of Veracruz.

New Orleans busted my modus operandi - never go to the same place twice, I used to think. Life is short! But I've gone back four times now, bringing friends with me as much as possible. I love New Orlean's ornate iron railings on stacked wooden balconies. You can feed an alligator a hot dog on a stick while out on an airboat tour or take a boozy walk on Bourbon Street. There are cemetery, ghost, and even vampire tours!

In a voodoo trinket shop, a magnet with this quote caught my eye.

"There are only three American cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everything else is Cleveland." - Oscar Wilde.

I was so insulted, I was charmed. First, I couldn't disagree more. Denver, Portland, and Cheyenne are three cities off the top of my head with something special to see. There are so many others! My first travel blog, in fact, was about a small Kansas town.

But I couldn't help but feel curious, too. Why did Mr. Wilde find those three cities to be America's best?

Thus my American bucket list was born. New Orleans was just the beginning. I designed to explore San Francisco and New York next.

My first 4 reasons for domestic travel:

1. Domestic travel takes less time. It's easier to fit into one's available time off.
2. If you travel in your own country, you'll speak the local language once you get there. (Hearing a foreign language is a huge appeal of international travel. But I have to admit, it's nice to speak the local language, too. Getting around becomes more efficient).
3. You don't need a passport.
4. You don't have to deal with currency exchange. This saves trips to banks and exchange fees.

Those are merely practical. I was to discover deeper reasons.

Mr. Wilde spoke highly of you, New York and San Francisco. You did not disappoint him. You fueled a growing faith in the wonders of my home country and deserve your own stories.

But Dear Reader: this story is really about the American South.

Ah, the romance of the South - many fall in love there, and I, with domestic travel.

An Unsung Fashion Center

Americans get a bad rap for lack of style. But I'm here to tell you, I've been to London, Paris, and Rome - and the Sunday best of Houston tops them all. The street fashion of Charleston leaves me proud.

I've been to London, Paris, and Rome - and the Sunday best of Houston tops them all.

I want to return to the South with a camera. I would specifically document the American street fashion there.

Launchpad of Exploration

Science and tradition are married in the American South. The smart dressing I mentioned is a sign of this. But so is the fact it is the launchpad for so many of the world's great scientific strides.

The impressive Kennedy Space Station is in Texas. The first heavier-than-air powered flight was in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The first manned trip to the moon launched from Florida - once again, the South!

Charleston, South Carolina

Flight training, in fact, brought me to Charleston. I found so much more. In this historic city, swamp and sophistication blend together. The class, the nature! Trees grow everywhere. Birds sing and alligators hide on the shores.

The fanciest men's bowties I've ever seen were in a window shop there. The dress shops for women drew me in past the window. I coveted them all. I had so much fun perusing the racks.

Charleston's clothes are like if Parisian style got woven with southern heat. Imagine suits and sundresses with lots of texture. Shoes always match the outfit.

Even its airport, Charleston International, is fascinating. Political figures, imposing military aircraft, big jetliners, and tiny student planes converge almost daily.

Cypress Gardens

A famous "Notebook" scene - - and the iconic bridge from "The Patriot" - - were both shot at Cypress Gardens in South Carolina. On my rest day, I decided to go and see.

I stepped into the boat, then paddled myself on their trail of water. White wooden arrows nailed to the trunks marked the way.

Green branches hung all around. I reveled in soothing heat. Mosquitos do not bother you in cypress swamps (the trees' tannins repel them).

Southern Food

Back downtown, I had a fine dinner. The waiter wore an impeccable many-layered suit. They seated me on the patio under trees. At the end, they brought me a flute of champagne to make up for "my long wait."

Southern cuisine can be described in terms of texture as well as flavor. Foods tend to either be soft or crispy - a nice balance. For example, you've got grits on the one hand, fried chicken on the other. My meal centered on well-prepared meat with buttery sauce and a blend of mild but distinct French seasoning. Comfort food refined is the name of the game.

Now, we can't credit the restaurant with this, but I also saw my first red cardinal in real life there, perched in a tree.

Regional Values

I'm from the North. Specifically, I'm from a suburb nestled in a Wild West state (Colorado). One of my elementary field trips was a drive to Buffalo Bill's grave on the mountain.

When my brother came back from a trip to Boston in his twenties, he commented: Other states don't teach so much pioneer stuff! The east coast is all about the American Revolution, he said. Look at its revolutionaries in decor everywhere versus Colorado's ubiquitous cowboy motifs.

Cultures organize virtues into different orders of importance. They hold subtle differences in how to solve ethical problems. Area locals unconsciously strive to act similarly in public: unobtrusive, tough, breezy, things like that. These things are all part of why places become known for their people.

Where I'm from, adults focused on teaching toughness and independence to us kids.

I once heard that people will look away if you spill your cart in a Colorado grocery store. This is to spare you the embarrassment while you handle it. Anywhere else, people will help you.

Is that true? It's hard to say. I can say that even once they're grown up, Colorado folks continue to sell you on their ruggedness and independence.

I like to think no region has a monopoly on any virtue. That said, in the South, the value of "hospitality" comes alive. Let me tell you some stories.

Alabama

When you want to rent an airplane, first, you have to pass a check-out ride. You fly in a glorified circle with a staff instructor and hope they become convinced that you know how to fly. In Alabama, I flew such a ride. The staff instructor was a southern gentleman named Darwin.

Would Darwin's hospitable flight tricks have been taught to a private pilot like me anywhere else?

"Try this," he said, and showed me a way to turn the airplane with a minimum of visible movement. "This way, passengers see serenity in the cockpit," he drawled. "It's all about passenger comfort."

I think Darwin's pro-tip is rooted in southern hospitality. I'll never know for sure, but no instructor before or since has taught this to me.

Florida

"Florida is a great microcosm of the country." - Unknown.

One hot day in Florida, I stood on a sidewalk waiting for my Chinese food. A man came out from the outside-of-business-hours club behind me with a champagne glass in his hand. He encouraged me in out of the sun. Inside, I found a classy lounge with a private room and a bar. He'd arranged the main area for both hookah and dancing.

"My hospitality is superb," he said. That's not the kind of boast you would hear any other place. He was the owner.

"I'm already loving it," I told him, sincerely.

In the American South, even businesses orient themselves around hospitable actions - not just hospitable spaces.

A club owner will bring you into the shade when there isn't anything available for sale. A clothing store cashier will offer you a glass of water when you come in, for another example. The American South teaches me about hospitality, class, and manners.

It's not that what makes good character is different the world over. It's that most places have a specialty in one or a few virtues! When you travel regions, you will experience first-hand how to take stranger virtues to the next level.

The Future in One Hour

As we speak, I am on my first flight to Savannah, Georgia. I cannot wait to take a horse-drawn carriage tour. After dark, I'll go on a haunted history walking tour, too. Savannah is the most haunted city in the U.S.A.

Magic awaits me in the city that Sherman spared. Savannah was so beautiful, General Sherman not only spared it from his destruction. He gifted it to Abraham Lincoln for Christmas in 1864.

To put romance and magic aside for a moment, I know I will also learn pieces of the American past there. Pieces that many people would prefer never to learn. It is all over the American South:

• the slave trade
• the American Revolution's bloodiest hour
• necro-architecture
• the Civil War
• and more,

There can be no mystery how Savannah could be the most haunted city in the States. By going myself, I'll find out.

The 9 Reasons to Travel Your Home Country

What are the regions in your nation like? Do you know yet?

Until I went myself, I had no idea about all that my country contained. Space exploration. History. Fashion. Movie sets. Mind-opening hospitality.

New York City, San Francisco, but above all, the American South made me fall in love with my own country. I encountered different cultures, delicious food, great style, special architecture, and rich history, all without needing a passport.

The United States isn't the only one with distinct areas. There are many regions within India, within Russia. There are even diverse regions within relatively small countries like Great Britain.

Wherever you live, give it a try. I'd wager a traveler from any country will have eye-opening experiences in their homeland.

Almost all of my domestic travel experiences are delightful. Though sometimes new regions hold darkness, each has the potential to make you proud to be a countryman.

The Best Reasons to Travel Domestically

You don't need a passport, the travel time is shorter, you'll speak the language, and you won't need to exchange currency. The remaining 9 reasons to explore your homeland are even better, though.

5. Every time you travel within your country, you learn more about what you don't know.

6. Domestic regions show you the breadth of your national personality.

7. Your country's corners deepen your national identity.

8. You'll see different virtues taken to the next level.

9. Your country can satisfy a foreigner's wanderlust. Why not yours?

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Savanna Rain Uland is a fantasy author and travel writer. www.savannarainuland.com